Tile and method of manufacture



Feb. 19, 1935. ic. E. BRADLEY 1,991,313

TILE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Aug. 4, 19.31

Patented Feb. 19, 1935 v PATENT OFFICE 'ma AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Charles E. Bradley, Boston, Mass. v J

Application 12 Claims.

The present invention relates to tiles which are used for wall facings and for ornamental purposes to face a wall with ceramic generally. In order tiles professional s '11 must be employed. Moreover, as the aggregate weight of the ceramic tiles is great special consideration 'must be given to the design of the construction in order that it may be strong enough to support the loaded wall. In remodelling an old construction considerable tearing down and rebuilding must be done in order that a wall loaded with ceramic tiles may be properly supported.

The'principal object of the present invention.

is to produce a tile, closely simulating the appearance of a ceramic tile, which is light in weight andcheap to manufacture andwhich maybe readily applied by amateurs to a wall, without overloading the supporting structure therefor.

To the accomplishment of this object, and such others as may appear hereinafter; the features of the present invention relate to certain constructions, combinations, arrangements. of parts, and methods hereinafter described and then set v forth broadly and in detail in the appended claims which possess advantages readily apparent to those skilled in the art. a

The various features of the ,present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of drawing illustrating the best the accompanying, forms of the invention 'at present known tothe inventor in which,

Figure 1 is a view in lap of a thin plate formed of matted cellulose fibers;

plastic so that Fig. 2 is a view. in sectional elevation of the plate shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the plate, provided with a coating of ceramic tile simulating mate.- rial; Fig. 4 is a view in sectional elevation of the plate shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view ing a green exposed face indistinguishable in appearance. from'a similarly colored ceramic the In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a quadrilateral tile is formedby matting cellulose fibers into a coherent plate 6 The quadrilateral plate 6, and others likefit, may be sawed out of an artificial board formed of matted cellulose fibers. One face of the plate 6 ,is coated with a com o tile simulating material '1 (Figs; 3, l= and 5). The material is applied while 4 portions thereof enter the interstices between the matted cellulose fibers and anchor'the coating '7 to the plate 6. The material is mixed with water to a co ncy such that with sandpaper.

,glue is used instead of casein as merits and the (Figs 1 and 2). l in a ready mixed form,

August 4, 1931, Serial No. 555,026

it may be applied evenly by a brush, trowelor straight-edge. The material sets quickly presenting to 'view a hard, smooth surface capable of being ornamented to simulate the appearance of vitrified, encaustic or glazed ceramic tiles. When partially set, the surface of the material is smoothed by brus g withwater or scrubbing It is not necessary to heat the material to make it set, nor is it necessary to subject the material to pressure to anchor it in the interstices of the matted cellulose fibres.

In the broader aspects of the invention the coating material may be cement pigmented to simulate the appearance of a ceramic tile. It is preferred, however, to employ a material having the composition following:

' Parts Plaster I 25 Casein or animal glue 12 Lime, 12

' Pigments Lithophone -1 Zinc 5 Mica 5 The plaster provides the composition with its 2 hard and quick setting properties. The casein, which is rendered insoluble in water and treated with a preservative such, for instance, as hexamine, to prevent its rotting, acts as a binder. The lime dissolves the casein. The zinc neutralizes and helps to preserve the casein. when animal a binder the lime and zinc may be dispensed with. The piglithophone impart the desired color to the mixture. The mica acts as a new 3 tralizer for the mixture and imparts flexibility thereto. i The composition is compounded in powder form by mixing the various components referred to. The dry composition may be stored ready for use at which time it may be mixed with water and applied upon the cellulose fiber base producing, after drying, a hard surface that is insoluble in water. The composition may be manufactured that is, the dry composition may be mixed with water, and shipped for immediate use in air tight containers.

As indicated in Fig. 5 the coating material may be pigmented to produce an imitation tile exposing to view a. solid color. The colored coating material when set may be finished with glaze,- vamish, lacquer or even enamel which may be subjected to a moderate heat for quick drying purposes. The coating material may be made up 55 in different colored batches in order that portions from each batch may be applied to the plate 6 surface.

To apply the tiles to the wall the bottoms of the coated plates 6 are provided with some suitable -adhesive or cement and simply stuck on the wall in laterally extended and superimposed relation. Thus no special skill or care is required. In fact, the application of the tiles to the wall may be performed by any one not skilled in the building trades. As the coating material is waterproof the imitation tiles may be Washed. The imitation tiles may be redecorated at any time while they arein place on the wall to change the color scheme, an operation impracticable with ceramic tiles. As the imitation tiles are extremely light they may be applied to an old wall without any necessity for increasing the strength of the supporting structure therefor.

Nothing herein explained is to be interpreted as limiting the various inventions in the scope of their. application to use in connection with the particular construction or the method of manufacture or both selected for the purpose of illustration and explanation: While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one form of the invention, it is not limited to these details of construction, nor to the conjoint use of all its features, nor is it to be understood that these particulars are essential since they, the composition used, and the steps of the method disclosed may be modified within the skill'of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual inventions, characterizing features of which are set forth in the following claims by the intentional use of generic terms and expressions inclusive of various modifications.

What is claimed as new is:

1 That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in matting cellulose fibers into a thin, unfaced coherent plate, and

anchoring a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material applied while plastic to at least .one surface of the plate in the interstices thereof.

2. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in matting cellulose fibers into a thin,'unfaced coherent plate, and anchoring a unitary facing of quick setting ceramic tile simulating material applied While plastic evenly to at least one surface of the plate in the interstices thereof.

3. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in matting cellulose fibers into a thin, unfaced coherent plate, and anchoring a unitary facing of waterproof, ceramic tile simulating material applied while plastic to at least one surface of the plate in the interstices thereof.

4. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in matting cellulose fibers into a thin, unfaced coherent plate, anchoring a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating materialapplied while plastic to at least one surface of the plate in the interstices thereof, smoothing the exposed surface of the plastic material, allowing the plastic material to set, and ornamenting the exposed surface of the set material.

5. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in cutting quadrilateral plates from an unfaced cellulose fiber board and anchoring while plastic a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material to at least one surface of each plate in the interstices thereof.

6. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in cutting quadrilateral plates from an unfaced cellulose fiber board and anchoring while plastic a unitary facing-of waterproof ceramic tile simulating material to at least one surface of each plate in the interstices thereof.

7. In an imitation tile, the combination with an unfaced plate formed of matted cellulose fibers, of a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material anchored While plastic in the interstices in at least one surface of the plate.

8. In an imitation tile, the combination with an unfaced plate formed of matted fibers, of a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material anchored while plastic in the interstices in at least one surface of the plate and pigmented to present a surface simulating that of a ceramic tile.

9. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in cutting plates from an unfaced cellulose fibre board, applying a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material to at least one surface of each plate includ ing the interstices therein, said material being applied while plastic to anchor it in said interstices, exposing the applied material, and allowing it to set while exposed.

- 10. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in cutting plates from an unfaced cellulose fibre .board, applying a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material to at least one surface of each plate includ- -ing the interstices therein, said material being applied while plastic to anchor it in said interstices, and allowing the facing material to set under atmospheric pressure.

11. That improvement in the art of making imitation tiles which consists in cutting plates from an unfaced cellulose fibre board, applying a unitary facing of ceramic tile simulating material to at least one surface of each plate including the interstices therein, said material being applied CHARLES E. BRADLEY. 

